Best Aesthetic Photo Editing Apps

When it comes to Instagram, aesthetics are the name of the game – and we have the aesthetic photo editing apps to get you to the top. Whether you’re going for sleek city vibes or the cozy cottagecore look, you want to build a feed that is cohesive, stylish, and totally you. Aesthetic editing can turn an average photo or image into an eye-catching part of your grid, and brings your Instagram to the next level. But as you scroll through your social media feed and see everyone that you follow killing it with their editing, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and like you can’t possibly keep up. 

Take a breath, babe– it’s easier than you think.

You don’t need a fancy camera, expensive software, or to hire a professional photographer to keep your Instagram account on par. You don’t need to spend hours learning how to edit photos. All that you need is your phone and a good photo editing app, and you will be on your way to the feed of your dreams. So today, I’m going to walk you through the best aesthetic photo editing apps. No matter your personal style or aesthetic, there’s an app out there with all of the features you need to build your platform with confidence. 

And when you’re ready to take the next step, check out my top camera recommendations for bloggers. But hey– one step at a time. Ready to build the Instagram feed of your dreams, one aesthetically pleasing photo at a time? Let’s dive in!

The Best Aesthetic Photo Editing Apps

Before we begin, I want you to know that you truly can’t go wrong with any of these options. Each of the aesthetic photo editing apps listed has its own individual strengths, but any of the following choices will help you elevate your platform as an influencer. 

The most important thing to keep in mind is consistency. When you commit to a style, commit! You want to build a brand and an aesthetic that your followers will recognize, and a consistent editing style is the first step towards making that happen. 

By the end of this post, you’ll be ready to choose an app, head over to the app store, and create the Instagram feed you’ve been craving. It’s going to be so good! Let’s get into it.

1. ADOBE LIGHTROOM

Why I Love It:

It’s a classic, but it’s a classic for a reason. Don’t let the high profile nature of Adobe scare you off–Adobe Lightroom’s mobile app is powerful, but it’s user-friendly and accessible, even for beginners. 

Out of all of the apps on the market, Lightroom has the most in-depth editing capabilities. Whether you want to color grade, remove objects from your pictures, or do detailed touch-ups, Lightroom has the tools you will need. 

Lightroom also allows you to create your own presets, which you can later sell. Many influencers sell Lightroom presets as a side hustle, and it’s a great form of passive income. 

Lightroom is the closest you will get to professional editing software in app form. If you know how to use it properly, you are guaranteed to have beautifully aesthetic results. 

I’m Not a Fan:

For some people, however, the fact that Lightroom is as professional quality as it is may not be an advantage. While the app is user-friendly, it is also fairly complex, and takes some time to learn, especially if you are new to photo editing. 

Lightroom does come with pre-created presets, but they are not ones that I personally would use. They are a bit outdated and harsh. So be prepared to spend some time building out your own as you begin to edit photos, or to purchase presets from someone else.

Summary:

If you want a high-capability photo editing app and are ready to put in some time, Lightroom is the app for you. If you’re new to the game and need something that won’t overwhelm you, you might want to try a different app. 

2. VSCO

Why I Love It:

If you’ve been an influencer for any amount of time, or have been a part of the online space, you’ve heard of VSCO. Whether you were around nearly a decade ago when it was mainly used by overly pretentious photographer types or your initial association with the app is the “VSCO girl” trend of recent years, you may already have a mental correlation with VSCO. 

However, I would argue that its full capabilities are often overlooked. 

For starters, VSCO is a great app for beginners. If you’re new to photo editing or building an aesthetic style, VSCO is easy to use and intuitive. The basic plan comes with a number of preset that can give you an easy starting point, and the app also has a number of editing tools built in that allow you to adjust the lighting and coloration. For a free photo editing tool, it’s powerful.

With VSCO Premium, you unlock a massive variety of photo filters that will quickly take your editing to the next level. You also will be able to edit video within VSCO with a Premium membership. 

VSCO also has a social aspect to it. You can post photos that you’ve edited to your VSCO profile, and follow other creators. This can be a fun way for influencers to further connect with their audience, and even offer a behind-the-scenes look into their lives by sharing photos that may not make it onto their main Instagram page. 

I’m Not a Fan:

Without a VSCO Premium membership, your editing abilities are significantly lower. VSCO has recently reduced the number of free presets, so your options are limited. 

Users have also complained that recent updates have had more bugs and interface issues, particularly users who are not on a Premium plan. 

Summary:

If you’re new to aesthetic photo editing apps, VSCO can be a great choice for creating an aesthetic you and your followers will love. However, the capabilities are limited without a Premium membership, and recent updates have brought about user complaints. 

3. TEZZA AESTHETIC PHOTO EDITING APP

What I Love:

Aesthetic queens, Tezza is calling! 

When it comes to preset options, Tezza is hard to beat. Their presets are current and trendy, with a fun vintage feel. Aesthetically, Tezza is a quick step to the next level as an influencer.

Tezza also offers a fun selection of overlays, effects, and textures to give your photos a unique, creative feel. 

Additionally, Tezza has built-in templates offered that allow you to create aesthetic Instagram stories with ease. Tired of spending half an hour trying to make your Instagram story look pretty? Tezza has you covered. 

If you’re like me and want to make sure your Instagram content is planned out well in advance and that all of your aesthetic pictures look nice together, Tezza also has a feed-planning feature, so you don’t have to download another app–everything can happen in one place. 

I’m Not a Fan: 

It’s true of most photo editing apps, but it needs to be said–sometimes, the edits just don’t translate the way that you’d like. Tezza’s presets are very aesthetic, but some of them just don’t quite work, so go in knowing that it may take time to find the one you love!

Also, Tezza doesn’t have great support, so if you run into issues, you may be on your own. 

Summary:

Tezza is ideal for creating good quality aesthetic content. It offers tools to plan your feed as well as templates to make stylish posts with the snap of a finger. However, it does take time to find the look that you want, and the user support is not always up to par.

4. TONE STUDIO

What I Love:

Tone Studio is designed for influencers by influencers–and it shows. It’s a newer app to the photo-editing scene, but it’s not one to overlook. 

Tone Studio has a fun, vintage, retro style that manages to feel timeless instead of forced or like you’re trying to be on trend. If you want your Instagram aesthetic to feel classy, they have you covered. They also offer a number of specific editing capabilities to customize the preset to your liking, including a tone curve tool–not commonly found in most editing apps!

It is also a fantastic app for video editing, with those same vintage vibes that up the aesthetic of your video content immediately. The quality of their video tools make it easy for creators to use Tone Studio for both photo and video, maintaining consistency in their aesthetic across the board. 

I’m Not a Fan:

Like I said, Tone Studio is a newer app, which is fantastic…when it works. 

Tone Studio is definitely one of the glitchier editing apps, and while their developers are continuing to roll out updates, it can be frustrating to use. 

Drafts and previous edits aren’t stored, so be prepared to start from scratch. The app is also prone to opening things that you didn’t tap, or not opening the things that you do. 

Summary:

Tone Studio is a great editing app for both photo and video, with a fun, vintage feel, but be prepared for some user interface issues along the way as their team continues to work out the kinks. 

5. A COLOR STORY

What I Love:

Created by the team behind the blog A Beautiful Mess, A Color Story is a photo app built specifically for users seeking a bright, light, colorful aesthetic. It’s designed with content creators in mind, and is frequently updated with presets designed by top influencers.

A Color Story is unique in that it allows your to layer your filters and effects. No longer do you have to pick one–you can build your own from their options to design an aesthetic specific to you and your brand. You can then save these edits as your own personal preset, similar to Lightroom.

A Color Story also allows you do plan your feed out within the app, so once again, you don’t have to go to a secondary app–everything is in one place. 

And with over 500 filters and over 120 effects, it’s nearly impossible not to find something that you’ll love. The user experience is intuitive, and while a bit more complicated than something like VSCO, it’s a good choice for someone who isn’t yet a photo editing pro but has the basic knowledge to dive in.

I’m Not a Fan:

In some ways, the extent of A Color Story’s capabilities can be overwhelming–it’s hard to know where to begin, and it can feel daunting when you’re just starting out due to the sheer number of options. 

You also have to be careful to continually save your work along the way as you add different layers or you’ll lose what you’ve done–and with so many tools, it’s easy to forget and struggle to recreate the edit you worked so hard on!

Summary:

A Color Story is an intuitive, widely useful app for content creators and influencers to boost their aesthetic. Its vast amount of options may be overwhelming to new users, but if you put in the time, it’s worth it.